UNESCO Chair for the Promotion of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence
The UNESCO Chair for the Promotion of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence was established at Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1999 with Professor Madhav Das Nalapat as the Chairholder. The UNESCO Chair at MAHE has sought to further UNESCO's mission by promoting cooperation and knowledge sharing in crucial areas. From education and culture to sustainable development, the initiatives conceptualized and actualized by the UNESCO Chair have sought to align with UNESCO's top priorities. Through its extensive research, capacity-building projects and policy efforts, the UNESCO Chair has tried to make a beneficial difference in diverse and scattered communities, empowering them to tackle pressing issues while promoting peaceful co-existence in a climate of tolerance.
Through Manipal Academy of Higher Education’s constituent units – Department of Geopolitics and International Relations (DGIR), Gandhian Centre for Philosophical Arts and Sciences (GCPAS), Manipal Centre for Humanities (MCH), Manipal Centre for European Studies (MCES), and Manipal Institute of Communication (MIC) – the University Chair has advanced several of UNESCO’s goals by organizing conferences, dialogues, seminars, stakeholder consultations, many of which are action-oriented. The institutions have also published research while engaging in advocacy efforts promoting peace-related themes during the period under review. In addition, the Chair has been active in the promotion of SDGs through efforts to promote vocational education and advancing water conservation measures.
MAHE, through the Chair’s advocacy and catalytic activity, has organized many workshops, symposiums, and seminars concerning peace and humanity, focusing on the key messages of UNESCO. The UNESCO Chair seeks to build partnerships and collaborations with governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to work collectively toward achieving the SDGs. Apart from capacity-building, there is a need to invest in policy research and analysis and contribute to monitoring progress toward SDGs. MAHE has set specific goals, including a net zero target of 2040. MAHE achieved the 4th rank globally in SDG-5 (Gender Equality) in 2023. MAHE has made conscious efforts to provide equal access to education for all genders and equal employment opportunities, scholarships, and other support systems; develop gender-responsive curricula, promote gender equality within the faculty and leadership; and conduct research on gender equity and justice, among others.
Links to UNESCO Peace Chair Events:
Rediscovering Humanity in the Present World: A UNESCO Dialogue on Promoting a Culture of Peace
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/rediscovering-humanity-present-world-unesco-dialogue-promoting-culture-peace-manipal-academy-higher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj5Wz5yYGsQ
Prospects for Environmental Peacebuilding in South Asia
https://youtu.be/0FhVt-qb0As?si=35Xv1iVwu-xRr_yA
Viability of Peace in Afghanistan: Probable Scenarios
https://youtu.be/9qko7Tmba-0?si=-iciWvPms-5H-Lec
Climate Change in the Arab Region: Implications on Sustainable Peace & Development
https://youtu.be/pgCQBgYJNdk?si=-YIs6NsUEFM60k6Y
Relevance of UN Peacekeeping in the 21st Century